Even Mass Effect 3, one of 2012's best-reviewed and most loved games, suffered withering criticism for its unsatisfying ending and clunky plot.

I had a thought the other day as I was finishing my most recent playthrough of the excellent 2011 first-person shooter Crysis 2.

What happened to this year?

Maybe it’s the recent download availability of so many great 2011 games on the PS3 and Xbox 360 — and my bias toward the comforting familiarity of all the games I’ve loved (and played) before. But 2012 just feels flat and crappy, despite a few highlights. Where’s our Batman: Arkham City? Our Skyrim? Our Dark Souls?

Certainly, there have been some great games this year, from the intimidatingly complex RPG mechanics and emotional heft of Mass Effect 3 (which itself suffered a lot of criticism for its unsatisfying ending) to the brilliant simplicity and genre-shifting potential of Journey.

So why, as a gamer, am I so nostalgic for the hits of 2011? Because I can now replay them painlessly via download? Because they were great in their own right? Or because 2012 is actually a bit of a bummer?

I would argue for those last two points.

Like I said, First World problems. 2012 has already had some solid games, whether they’re console, PC or mobile titles. Angry Birds Space for the iOS? Addictive and, unlike many sequels, not lacking in inventive mechanics that improve upon the original. Diablo III was exactly what it should be — and immensely satisfying.

But too many games have just been passable, at best. Look at first-person shooter/action games like The Darkness II, which was mindlessly fun and cool-looking (with its quasi cell-shaded art style), but ultimately recycled and empty. The much-anticipated Gotham City Imposters had control issues and an aimless tone. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, while rich and reverent of the fantasy RPG genre, looked, and often felt, too cartoonish and slight (I know Game On founder Bryan Moore disagrees with me on this. Read his review). Ridge Racer Unbounded was cool evolution of the series but basically a retread of the Burnout series.

As with most years, there have also been some outright terrible games, but for some reason they feel more numerous. The demo for Ninja Gaiden 3 played like a high school programming project. I Am Alive was a huge letdown, given its long development cycle. Top Gun Hard Lock could have been a nifty return to a long-dormant action universe, but ended up like any other mediocre flying title. And the slight, uninspired sequels, spin-offs and TV/movie cash-ins are everywhere (Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, Mario Party 9, Game of Thrones, etc.)

Maybe we should focus on the great indie and downloadable games of 2012, like Fez, Warp, Stacking, Dyad or even the Walking Dead episodes. Or the fact that some of the biggest AAA titles won’t come (or, in some cases, even be announced) until the holiday shopping season stars. Really, it’s too soon to judge 2012 as a terrible year for gaming. Even a bad year these days if often better than the best years of the late ’90s and early 2000s.

But 2011 set such a high standard across the bar, especially for console games, that it’s going to take another open-world masterpiece or a brilliant puzzler to give this year as much energy and momentum. I don’t want to only be looking forward to big console games like Grand Theft Auto V and The Last of Us, or new systems like the Wii U, to feel excited about the future of gaming. I want today to fulfill that promise.

Hey John! This year presents some outstanding games. So don’t feel bad with nostalgic with 2011 games. Have you played ‘XCOM: Enemy Unknown’. Just try it on. Other Hollywood typecast games are also there.

r4 – XCOM isn’t out in the States until Oct. 9th but it looks pretty slick. I’m more a real-time strategy and action guy when it comes to those types of games (as opposed to squad- and turn-based) but I’ll certainly play it if I can get my hands on it.

A&E reporter John Wenzel has covered a variety of topics for The Denver Post over the years, including video games, comedy, music and the fine arts. He's been playing and loving video games since his dad brought home a sweet ColecoVision in 1983. Catch him on PSN as beardsandgum.

Hugh got his start writing for the Cheyenne and Woodmen Edition newspapers in Colorado Springs. In 2011 he moved to Denver where he has written for Denver Urban Spectrum and Colorado Community Media’s Wheat Ridge Transcript. Hugh joined The Denver Post in 2014 as an editorial assistant.